Space-Based Internet: Idea on foot from 90’s

The idea behind the space-based internet is not a recent innovation, it was thought way back in 90’s by Teledesic but never turned into reality.

After then, last year Virgin Galactic and Qualcomm came up with a similar plan of using satellite system for higher speed connectivity worldwide.

However, Mark Zuckerberg did show some plan of action to execute this idea of the space-based internet and he almost executed this plan by sending Amos 6 satellite to the geosynchronous orbit by putting it at 22,000 miles away from the earth where it could act as a router allowing local entrepreneurs to sell Wi-Fi to the public.

Unfortunately, Amos 6 which was leased by Facebook was destroyed during the launch time along with the SpaceX rocket which was meant to carry it to the orbit. But Zuckerberg has now come up with “Aquila” which is designed to fly in the stratosphere at the edge of the space.

Elon Musk had the same aspiration like Zuckerberg but with a more successful plan of execution, where a network of thousands of low-cost satellites were to be launched into a low earth orbit. The advantage of satellites into low orbit is to use only a milliseconds to send messages across the long distance.

James Muncy, co-founder of the Space Frontier Foundation told NBC news “with the faster computers and cheaper satellites, there is a lot of interest in creating a bunch of new systems to do this”.

Jim Cantrell, a founding member of SpaceX told NBC news, “He sees space-based as an opportunity for click driven businesses like Facebook to get into new markets. He also added there has to be an economic and idealistic goal associated with this.”

Mark Zuckerberg has made connecting the world as his personal mission; unfortunately the loss of Facebook’s first satellite was devastating.

But Facebook is committed to its mission of connecting everyone and it can be very much assumed by its immediate inventory of Aquilla.